Discussion Western juniper is slow growing and long lived. Individuals can survive for 1,000 years or longer. The Bennett juniper, which grows near Sonora Pass, California, is believed to be 3,000 to 6,000 years old. Cones are an important food for several birds, including American Robin, Phainopepla and Cedar Waxwing; these digest the fleshy cone scales and disperse the seeds in their droppings.